Sunday, April 17, 2011

The Introduction

I live a simple life in East Texas, I spend half a year working and the other half surviving. I only work to pay the bills I accumulated as a ignorant 20-30 something. My parents taught me better but we must all rebel against how we are raised I suppose. I started off fairly good and felt I was on the right track but then I got married and my wife opened me up to a new world, I just thought I had to have a little of everything, now we have a lot of debt and even though I tried to stop she convinced me we where on the "right path". Now I have reverted back to the "old ways" and am slowly convincing her that this is the "right path". She is constantly faultering so it will be a tough battle. I do not know what I have gotten myself into but 20 years of marriage and 4 children later I have too much into this relationship now to call it quits ... I think? Anyways I am part native american (cherokee and chato) and swamp irish (french and scots/irish). I come from a long line of survivors and slef sufficient living folks. I have be taught and learned alot of skills is self sustained living and am working on teaching my wife and children these skills, plus a few new modern technologically advances self sustaining skills. Once we get our debt paid down enough we will purchase a tract of land and hopefully become self sufficient not relying on anyone for our needs. Atleast that is our goal (my goal). My wife is still convinced though you have to work for somebody and have them provide all your benefits but as we are learning is this new modern economy that is slowly going down the drain most of these jobs are cutting benefits to keep themselves alive in the "free market" people have quit relying on themselves so much and depending on someone else to provide everything for them for so long they can't understand that, that is not how a "free country" is supposed to operate. Sure everyone helps each other and reaps the benefits of what others produce, but we all have to realize if something happens to the other guy we will still need to rely on numero uno. Back in the day my family including extended family all relied on each other and everyone made it. But thru the comercialization of everything the "family" has been driven apart and seperated to where my children do not really know their extended family past 1st cousins and grandparents. That is a sad thing to me because my family was always the ones I could count on and depend on now I don't even know where most of them live. So hopefully by us getting back to the "old ways" of doing things we can bring back way of life atleast for our family. I am trying to convince my parents and siblings into going in together to purchase a large enough tract of land that we can all sustain and help each other especially thru tough times. The only draw back is they all think I am crazy except mom and dad. From time to time I will post how to do certain things, hide tanning, making tools (blacksmithing, flintknapping, traps etc) native plants for food and medicine, trapping, making weapons (bows, atlatls, tomahawks, knives etc) gardening, farming, and being one with the earth so that we do not destroy what we have. Anyones comments are questions will be gladly appreciated, and I hope that this will not only help me but others who may happen upon this blog.